How to find charities to support the things you care about

Americans make most of their charitable donations between Thanksgiving and New Year's Eve.
(Photo: TypoArt BS/Shutterstock)

Much
of the nation’s charitable giving occurs between #GivingTuesday, the Tuesday
after Thanksgiving, and Dec. 31. In 2016, donations on
Nov. 29
soared 44 percent from the previous year, raising $168 million. Giving Tuesday is
a day to volunteer for or donate to your favorite cause,
whether large or national or small and local. But it’s just the beginning of
the season.

If
you’re in the mood to give, but you worry about how your money will be used
(most of us do), keep in mind it’s important not to focus completely on
administrative costs as a benchmark for assessing a charity’s success. A
certain amount of overhead is necessary for a nonprofit to function and grow
its goals. In 2013, several charity watchdog sites wrote an open letter to
address the misconceptions around the
“overhead myth.”

That doesn’t
mean you shouldn’t use robust metrics to vet an organization. You should. But how
to begin?

How to decide on a charity

Several websites allow you to research charities to make sure your financial contribution is used how you intended. (Photo: Aysezgicmeli/Shutterstock)

First, consider a cause that speaks to you and
whether you want to give nationally or locally. Most of us have a few arenas we care deeply about. Talk to friends or family
for recommendations.

Next, gather
information about a particular nonprofit. A good place to start is with
the charity sites that review or rate charities.
Charity Navigator rates
organizations on financial health, accountability and transparency. A good
benchmark, according to Charity Navigator, is 75 percent of income going
toward programs or the organization’s mission.
GuideStar, which lists 1.8
million charities, doesn’t rate organizations
but does provide information on their executive salaries, spending and income
by providing access to Form 990s, the basic Internal Revenue Service filing document. For a fee,
you can dig even deeper.
BBB Wise Giving Alliance, affiliated with the Council for Better Business Bureaus, also
provides reviews of national charities using accountability standards (but
doesn’t rate them).
GiveWell, a smaller
charity information site, conducts in-depth research on nonprofits and offers a
few top recommendations. Also try
GreatNonprofits.org, where you can find nonprofits
local to your city. Talking to an organization directly about their goals and
mission will also give you good information.

Third, determine an annual budget for yourself and commit to recurring
contributions for a cause or two. My husband
contributes a small monthly sum to a regional NPR station with a jazz focus
because playing jazz is a big part of his life and he supports objective
journalism.

If you don’t have the financial budget to give
hard-earned dollars, consider donating your time or a skill. Spending time
onsite at a nonprofit will also give you a look at how it operates. Finally, be sure to keep a record of your
contribution for your tax return.

A few ideas to get you going

Consider these national organizations or find a
lesser-known one that speaks to you. The following is a brief selection of worthy causes to get you thinking.

Equal rights

If equal rights are important to you, consider donating to the Equal Justice Initiative or the Southern Poverty Law Center. (Photo: vasara/Shutterstock)

350.org has climate activists in 189 countries
working to unite a global movement using a bottom-up strategy.

Sierra Club was founded to promote
stewardship of nature but is now fighting on the front lines of climate change.

Natural Resources Defense Council combines the power of more than 2 million members and activists with the expertise of 500 scientists, lawyers and policy
advocates to ensure people’s rights to the air, the water and the wild.

Friends of the Earth is one of 75
members of Friends of the Earth International pushing for environmental reforms
around the globe.

Earthworks protects communities
and the environment from the adverse impacts of mineral and energy development
while promoting sustainable solutions.